Car coupler



Unite Patent:

CAR COUPLER William J. Metzger, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 31, 1957, Serial No. 662315 6 Claims. (Cl. 213-155) This invention relates to railway car couplers of the type in which a knuckle is rotatable connected to the coupler head by a vertical pin and wherein abutment means are provided on the head and on the knuckle, in the vicinity of the pin, to relieve the latter from draft and bufiing stresses when the coupler is in service. More particularly, the invention relates to novel means for increasing the strength of a coupler of the aforementioned type and providing for free opening of the knuckle by the operating mechanism of the coupler.

Conventional knuckle type coupler construction generally comprises upper and lower bosses on the coupler head surrounding the pin and between which is mounted the knuckle. The knuckle generally comprises top and bottom shoulders which project vertically into overlapping relationship with the bosses and which extend par tially around the bosses for abutment therewith, when the knuckle is in closed position, to relieve the pin from draft and bufiing stresses during coupled operation of the coupler.

In United States Patent No. 2,626,064, issued January 20, 1953, to F. H. Kayler, there is disclosed a car coupler arrangement in which the outboard sides of the bosses are relieved or recessed in order to substantially eliminate frictional engagement between the aforementioned bosses on the head and shoulders on the knuckle during actuation of the latter by the operating mechanism of the coupler, to thereby accommodate unrestricted pivoting of the knuckle. This construction of the coupler has not been entirely satisfactory in that the strength of the outboard walls of the bosses is obviously considerably decreased by such an arrangement, thereby resulting in increased failures thereof when subjected to the stresses resulting from service operations.

The present invention provides a novel knuckle coupler arrangement wherein the outboard walls of the bosses are not recessed and accordingly the strength thereof is considerably increased over the coupler structure disclosed in the above identified Kayler patent. Moreover, the knuckle of the instant arrangement comprises a novel construction that considerably reduces frictional resistance to free operation thereof upon actuation by the operating mechanism of the coupler, thereby to provide an easier opening knuckle and thus a more advantageous coupler.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a car coupler having increased coupler head strength in the vicinity of the knuckle mounting portions of the head and embodying novel means for eliminating binding and frictional resistance to opening of the knuckle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupler of the above-mentioned type, wherein the knuckle embodies novel means for eliminating binding and frictional resistance to opening of the knuckle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car coupler construction having upper and lower bosses thereon for mounting a coupler knuckle therebetween,

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wherein the outboard walls of the bosses, and diametrically opposite inboard portions of the walls of the bosses, are of substantially the same area in vertical cross section, and wherein a novel contour on the generally forward portion of each of the abutment shoulders of the knuckle is provided to eliminate frictional resistance to opening of the knuckle during actuation thereof by the uncoupling mechanism.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a coupler construction of the latter mentioned type, wherein the forward outer portion of each of the aforementioned shoulders of the knuckle is recessed in a generally forward direction to eliminate frictional engagement between the shoulders and the bosses during actuation of the knuckle by the coupler operating mechanism.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, top plane view of a knuckle coupler embodying the invention, the knuckle being shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the coupler shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken generally along line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direc- Fig. 5 is a view corresponding generally to Fig. 3 but showing the knuckle of the coupler in fully open position.

Fig. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing in detail one embodiment of the novel contour of the shoulders of the knuckle which results in reduced frictional resistance to opening of the knuckle, the knuckle being shown in closed and pulled position.

Referring to the drawings, the coupler comprises .a head 10 having a knuckle 12 mounted thereon. Knuckle 12 comprises the usual nose portion 13 adapted for interengagement with the nose of a knuckle on an opposing coupler to maintain the couplers in mated condition. In the embodiment shown the coupler is an A. A. R. Alternate Standard Type F Interlocking Coupler but it will be understood that the invention may be utilized with any type of knuckle coupler in which the knuckle is connected to the coupler head by means of a vertical pivot pin.

Head 10 comprises spaced top and bottom lugs or ears 14, 14, having bosses 16, 16 on the inner sides thereof. Knuckle 12 is pivoted to the head by means of vertical pin 18 which extends through vertically aligned openings 20, 20 in the bosses and ears and opening'22 in body portion 24 of the knuckle. Body portion 24 is fitted between bosses 16, 16 and is supported for pivotal movement on the lower one of the bosses. The openings 20 in the ears and bosses of the head are made larger than the pin and'are preferably elongated longitudinally of the coupler, as shown. 1

It will be understood, therefore, that with such a loosely mounted knuckle arrangement, the knuckle is not only rotatable on the coupler head, but is also shiftable laterally and longitudinally with respect to the head. The opening 22 in the knuckle body 24 is generally circular and is slightly larger than the diameter of the pivot pin 18.

Each boss 16 is generally round in horizontal cross section and at its juncture with the coupler head is formed with inner and outer abutment surfaces zo and 27 which are adapted for engagement with the opposing inner and outer stop surfaces 28 and 30, respectively, on the coupler knuckle, upon closing and opening of the knuckle.

Each of the bosses 16 is provided with generally vertical, substantially cylindrical, convex pulling surfaces 32 and bufling surfaces 34. Surfaces 32 and 34 are generally aligned longitudinally of the coupler and are disposed respectively rearwardly and forwardly of pin 18 on the generally front and rear sides of the bosses.

Intermediate surfaces 32 and 34, the inboard side of each of the bosses is provided with a substantially vertical, generally flat surface 36 which merges at its forward and rearward ends with curved surfaces 34 and 32. Surface 32 at its rearward end merges with the aforementioned inner abutment surface 26. The outer end of surface 34 merges with the outboard side 38 of the boss to form, in accordance with the invention, a smooth, continuous convex contour.

The prior art contour of the outboard side of the bosses, as disclosed in the aforementioned Kayler patent, is shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 3 and indicated by reference letter C. Thus it will be seen that the outboard walls of the bosses of the coupler in the instant arrangement have greater vertical cross sectional area and therefore have considerably greater strength characteristics. Moreover, it will be understood that the vertical cross sectional area of the outboard walls 38a and diametrically opposite portions of the inboard walls 36a of the bosses of this embodiment is substantially the same, to thereby generally equalize the unit stress applied to such walls in service. Accordingly, there is less chance for failure of the bosses in the instant arrangement as compared to prior art construction when the coupler head is subjected to the usual bufiiug and pulling stresses in service.

Each boss 16 is partially and generally loosely surrounded by a substanitally U-shaped shoulder 39 formed integrally with the body portion 24 of the knuckle. Each shoulder 39 comprises rearward and forward leg portions 39a and 3% (Fig. 3), ending respectively in the aforementioned stop surfaces 28 and 30 and joined by an intermediate portion 390. Leg portions 39a and 391) are provided on their inner sides with generally vertical, concave draft and bulfing surfaces 40 and 42 formed generally complementary to surfaces 32 and 34, respectively, and adapted for abutment therewith when the knuckle is in closed position, to thereby relieve pin 18 from substantially all draft and bufiing stresses in service. Intermediate portion 390 comprises a substantially vertical, generally fiat surface 44 formed generally complementary to surface 36 on the associated one of the bosses to. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that abutment surfaces 40 and 42 on the knuckle shoulders are normally disposed generally concentrically with respect to the opposing surfaces 32 and 34 on the bosses, when the knuckle is in closed position.

In accordance with the invention, the outer end of forward leg portion 39b of each of the knuckle shoulders 39 is recessed or cut away as at 46. In the embodiment shown, this recession of the inner surface of the knuckle shoulder commences outwardly of the longitudinally extending vertical center plane XX of pivot pin 18 and extends to the outermost end of shoulder 39 to merge with abutment surface 30 thereon. Thus, recess 46 provides considerable clearance as at E (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) between the generally vertically extending surface 46a and the confronting surface on the boss. Clearance E prevents frictional engagement between the bosses 16 on the coupler head and the shoulders 39 on the knuckle during the greater portion of the knuckle movement as the knuckle is pivoted from closed position toward open position by the operating mechanism of the coupler, as will be hereinafter described.-

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the knuckle is shown in closed position preparatory to its being opened by the knuckle thrower 50 ofthe conventional operating mechanism of the coupler. Upon actuation of thrower 50 arm 52 thereof engages pad 54, disposed rearwardly of pin 18 (Fig. 1), on the knuckle body 24 and pivots the knuckle in a clockwise direction from the closed position shown in Fig. 3 to the fully open position shown in Fig. 5.

During opening of the knuckle, forward and rearward leg portions 3% and 39a pass around the associated one of the bosses 16 on the coupler head until abutment face 30 on each of shoulders 39 on the knuckle engages the corresponding abutment surface 27 on the coupler head, as shown in Fig. 5, the latter position representing the fully opened position of the knuckle. As can best be seen from Fig. 5, with a coupler having bosses 16 embodying the thickened outboard walls, in accordance with the invention, and a knuckle having the continuous smooth prior art shoulder contour, indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 5 by reference letter F, considerable frictional engagement and even interference would generally occur between the bosses and the knuckle upon opening of the latter. However, with a knuckle having the recessed shoulder contour of the invention, substantially no frictional engagement occurs between the knuckle shoulders and bosses 16 during opening of the knuckle and thus considerably less force is required to actuate the operating mechanism of the coupler. In this connection, as the knuckle is moved to open position, the thrower 56 initially shifts or moves the knuckle transversely of the coupler head, or toward the top of the sheet of drawings, as viewed in Fig. 4, until the knuckle body 24 engages the pin, as at 58, and the pin engages as at 60 the inboard side of each pin hole 20 in the ears and bosses 14 and 16. With the knuckle thus shifted transversely prior to pivoting thereof, the arcuate buffing surface 42 on the forward leg portion 39b of each of shoulders 39 is, of course, shifted generally eccentrically with respect to the opposing buffing face 34 on each of the bosses. This eccentric positioning of the knuckle with respect to the bosses will, of course, decrease the clearance between the outboard side of each of the bosses and the outer end portion of each of shoulders 39 and thus usually cause greater frictional resistance to occur between shoulders 39 and the outboard sides 38 of bosses 16 during pivoting of the knuckle toward open position. However, with the inner surface of leg portion 391) of the shoulders cut away or recessed, as at 46, in accordance with the invention clearance will normally exist between the shoulders and the opposing outboard surfaces 38 on the bosses as the knuckle rotates to open position. Just prior to the open position, surface 461: of recess 46 is adapted to frictionally engage the confronting surface of the boss, as at 62 (Fig. 5). This frictional engagement at the end of the rotational movement of the knuckle, while not materially affecting the force required to open the knuckle, maintains the knuckle in a more stabilized condition on the coupler and less likely to move to closed position, if the associated car is subjected to a sudden impact in a longitudinal direction. Upon closing the knuckle, this frictional engagement as at 62 exists only for an instant and then clearance between the shoulder and the knuckle occurs to provide unrestricted pivotal movement of the knuckle back to closed position.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will be readily understood that the invention provides a novel knuckle coupler arrangement, wherein the outboard walls of the knuckle mounting bosses on the coupler head are thickened and thus materially strengthened; and wherein the shoulders on the knuckle, which vertically overlap the bosses, are recessed on generally the outer ends thereof to accommodate free rotation of the knuckle by the operating mechanism to open position, until the knuckle substantially reaches said open position, whereupon frictional engagement between the outboard sides of the bosses and the outermost ends of the shoulders occurs to maintain the knuckle in a generally stabilized condition when fully opened.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereof as fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a car coupler comprising a head having spaced top and bottom ears With bosses on the confronting sides thereof, a knuckle pivotally mounted between said bosses on a shiftable axis accommodating rotational, lateral and longitudinal movement of said knuckle with respect to said head, said knuckle comprising shoulders on the top and bottom thereof loosely and partially surrounding associated ones of said bosses, said bosses and said shoulders in horizontal cross-section comprising opposing, generally arcuate abutment surfaces adapted for substantial engagement upon predetermined relative longitudinal movement of said knuckle in said head when said knuckle is in closed position, means for rotating said knuckle from said closed position to open position, the outer portions of the abutment surfaces on said shoulders being recessed to prevent frictional engagement between said shoulders and said bosses during rotational movement of said knuckle by said means toward open position.

2. In a car coupler comprising a head having spaced top and bottom ears with bosses on the confronting sides thereof, a knuckle pivotally mounted between said bosses on a shiftable axis accommodating rotational, lateral and longitudinal movement of said knuckle with respect to said head, each of said bosses in horizontal cross-section being of generally circular configuration, the outboard side surface of each of said bosses being of a generally continuous substantially uninterrupted contour, said knuckle comprising generally U-shaped shoulders on the top and bottom thereof loosely and partially surrounding the associated one of said bosses, said bosses and said shoulders comprising opposing abutment surfaces spaced generally longitudinally of said head and adapted for engagement upon predetermined longitudinal movement of said knuckle on said head when said knuckle is in closed position, means for rotating said knuckle from said closed position to open position, said means initially shifting said knuckle laterally with respect to said head in an inboard direction, the outboard portions of said shoulders being recessed in a generally forward direction adjacent the outboard ends thereof, said recess preventing frictional engagement between said shoulders and said bosses during rotational movement of said knuckle.

3. In a car coupler in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said bosses comprises an abutment face disposed adjacent the rearward end of said outboard side surface and wherein each of said shoulders comprises an abutment surface defining said outboard end thereof, said face engaging in abutting relationship with said last-mentioned surface when said knuckle is in fully opened position to maintain the open knuckle in generally stabilized condition.

4. A knuckle for a car coupler comprising a nose portion and a body portion adapted to be .pivotally mounted between 'top and bottom bosses on an ,associated coupler head, said knuckle comprising top and bottom shoulders of generally arcuate concave configuration in horizontal cross-section, the outer portions of said shoulders being recessed in a generally forward direction.

5. A knuckle for a car coupler comprising a nose portion and a body portion adapted to be pivotally mounted between top and bottom bosses on an associated coupler head, said knuckle comprising top and bottom shoulders, each of said shoulders being adapted to loosely and partially surround the associated one of the bosses, each of said shoulders comprising generally forward and rearward abutment surfaces of concave configuration in hori- I zontal cross-section, a portion of said forward surface being offset generally forwardly from the adjacent surface whereby the radius defining said portion is of greater magnitude than the radius defining the adjacent surface, said radii commencing from a common axis.

6. A knuckle for a car coupler comprising a nose portion and a body portion, said body portion being adapted to be pivotally mounted between top and bottom bosses on an associated coupler head, said knuckle comprising top and bottom shoulders, each of said shoulders being adapted to loosely and partially surround the associated one of said bosses, said shoulders comprising generally forward and rearward abutment surfaces of concave configuration in horizontal cross-section, the outer ends of No references cited. 

